Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D, MI-11) ended her primary night with her race for Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate nomination too close to call. Stevens is running against former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed.
Addressing her supporters, Stevens encouraged her supporters to stay focused on beating Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers in the general election.
“Republicans are going to do everything they can to throw all the dirt, all the mud, the kitchen sink at us because they want to keep the U.S. Senate red,” Stevens said.
The night ended with votes still being counted in Detroit, Flint, and Muskegon. All three were cities with sizeable Black populations core to Stevens’ base.
Many tried to paint the race as a test for whether her brand of moderate politics could outlast El-Sayed’s progressive message amid a surge in populism.
At her election night party, many of her supporters framed her as a practical candidate best suited for a general election. That’s as Democrats see holding Michigan as a key piece of the party’s journey back to a U.S. Senate majority.
Detroiter Carl Ramsey is a former community organizer. He said Stevens got his support by showing up to events and winning past elections.
“[El-Sayed] was never elected to anything. He was appointed. Her experience elevates her to a position we need in D.C. It’s vicious in D.C. right now,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey said he hoped all Democrats unite around the party’s nominee once results are final.
Several current and former high-ranking Democrats endorsed Stevens during her campaign. The list includes Governor Gretchen Whitmer, retiring U.S. Senator Gary Peters, and former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.
El-Sayed, on the other hand, got support from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D, MI-12).
At the watch party, Stabenow said she felt like Stevens’ supporters were more centered on winning in November than proving a point about national politics.
“It’s people in Michigan who have served Michigan, who have won in Michigan, who know what it takes to win in Michigan and do the job, and everybody who knows that has been supporting Haley,” Stabenow said in an interview.
Outside spending was also a considerable factor in the race, with research firm AdImpact ranking Michigan’s as one of the most expensive races in the country when it comes to advertising.
Stevens also saw outside groups, including ones funded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spend upwards of $60 million dollars spent on ads on her behalf. El-Sayed, on the other hand, had around $7 million spent on him.
UPDATE AT 9:51 AM: Rep. Haley Stevens has called Abdul El-Sayed to concede in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan. That's according to El-Sayed’s campaign on Wednesday morning. The Associated Press has not yet called the race. A representative for Stevens campaign did not return a request for comment.
UPDATE AT 10:04 AM: El-Sayed's victory has been confirmed by the Associated Press.
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